Today in 1909, Orville Wright (one of the famous Wright Brothers, along with Wilbur) set a record for the longest airplane flight. Orville was testing the Army's first airplane and kept it aloft for 1-hour, 12-minutes and 37-4/5 seconds over Fort Myer, Virginia. On hand were President Taft, his cabinet, and other public officials as well as an estimated crowd of ten thousand spectators.
Today in 1953, the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War was signed at Panmunjon, Korea. The war lasted three years and 32 days. The truce negotiations between North Korean and U.S. delegates (representing South Korea) lasted two years and seventeen days.
Today in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill requiring cigarette makers to print health warnings about the effects of smoking on all cigarette packages.
Today in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27 to 11 to recommend the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, on charges that he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case.
Today in 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, killing two people and injuring more than 100. While security guard Richard Jewell was falsely accused, his family said his life was never the same – even after it was proven he had nothing to do with the explosion. Who did it? Abortion clinic bomber Eric Rudolph, who had been on the run from authorities from 1998 until 2003. He was later convicted and currently serving four life sentences, plus 120 years. As for Jewell, he died of natural causes in 2007.
Today in 1998, Monica Lewinsky spent five hours being interviewed by prosecutors in New York in a possible prelude to an immunity deal.
Today in 1999, in an overwhelming defeat for major league umpires, their threatened walkout collapsed when all of the umpires withdrew their resignations; however, about one-third of them ended up losing their jobs anyway.
Today in 2018, the longest "blood moon" eclipse of the 21st century, lasting one-hour 43-minutes, took place.